Palestinian sources report members of Hamas' security force arrested Islamic Jihad member as he attempted to plant explosive device near border fence

Ali Waked |Published: 07.22.07 , 21:56

Members of Hamas' special security force arrested an armed member of the al-Quds Brigades, the Islamic Jihad's military wing, as he attempted to place an explosive device near the border fence in the southern Gaza Strip on Sunday evening.

Palestinians sources and eyewitnesses reported that following the arrest, tensions between the two organizations rose. Islamic Jihad gunmen threatened to respond with a wave of kidnappings against Hamas
members.

An interference on the part of the group's leaders prevented clashes.

A spokesman for the Islamic Jihad's military wing refused to confirm or deny the report. Palestinian sources, however, reported that this was not the first time Hamas members stop members of the Islamic Jihad and other organizations from firing at IDF troops or planting explosive devices.

The special security force set up roadblocks on all the roads leading to the fence in different areas of the Strip.

Last month, Taufik Tirawi, the Palestinian intelligence commander in the West Bank, said that senior Hamas members who had encouraged suicide attacks against Israel,
did everything to prevent their own relatives from executing these.

At a Ramallah press conference, Tirawi said that the brother of Hamas spokesman in the Strip was listed to commit a suicide attack in Israel.

However, shortly before he was to be sent on the mission, the spokesman called the Palestinian security forces in the West Bank and demanded that they put off his brother's operation.

"We arrested the brother before he carried out the attack and managed to smuggle him into the Gaza Strip," he said.